Ethnomusicology: The Samoan Culture

Ethnomusicology is an extension of Anthropology that studies and examines the cultural aspects of music. It is able to relate society to its culture, as well as identifying the significance and situations of the time. This can include studying how the music of a culture has evolved or changed under the influence of tradition, era, location, events in history, religion, and other cultures. Ethnomusicology is one of the many ways to evaluate how people interact with each other and their environment to create a musical culture that sets them apart from others.
When the European missionaries first came across Samoa and its inhabitants, the Samoan culture began evolving and adapting more English religious practices such as Christianity and Catholicism. In addition, Samoans were introduced to new varieties of music, which included European church hymns and popular music. Because of this change in music styles, instruments were created and designed to fit the style of the music, and European instruments were introduced to the Samoan people. One of the major instrumental changes included two-stringed instruments that are known as the guitar and ukulele (both of which have four strings instead of two). However, this did not change the way Samoans used music for social purposes.
Samoans are very family-oriented and social people, allowing them easy
Musicians and artists in Samoa have added electronic instruments and rhythms to their compositions, which was introduced to them through western cultures. However, a guitar or a ukulele still serve as the main instruments in most pieces of Samoan music, while the introduction of a song is often played by a Pate. A Pate is a hollowed out log that is beaten with two wooden sticks that resemble wooden pestles. (A picture of the Pate is shown on the